Descriptive Paragraphs (EXERCISE/answers)

CHAPTER 4.

Page 62

The Stairway'

When I was two or three years old, I lived in a house that had a strange atmosphere. I do not remember anything about the house except the stairway. It was dark, squeaking, and quite narrow, and its steps were a little high for me to climb up. From the bottom of the stairway, it seemed like an endless climb to the top. Beyond the darkness at the top of the stairway, there was an elegant, middle-aged lady leaning against the wall. I had to pass her every·time I went to my room, for my room was the first room beyond the stairs on the second floor. The lady wore a beautiful dress with a quiet pattern and a tinge2 of blue, and her peaceful eyes stared at me every time I went up the stairs. As I carefully climbed up the last step, her eyes became fixed3 on me. She didn't talk, nor did she move. She just stood there and watched me clamber4 up the stairs. 0ne day I touched her, but she did not react. Her face did not change expression, nor did she even blink. She just kept staring at me with her I glittering5 eyes. Later, we moved out of the house, and I never saw her·again. Now I know that the lady was a mannequin. My aunt, who lived in the house, used it for her dressmaking class. I did not know my mother. Maybe  imagined that the mannequin standing at the top of the stairs was my mother. The stairway with the strange atmosphere has an important place in my earliest memories.

Questions on the Model

1 . What does the writer say about the atmosphere of the house in the first sentence?

a house that had a strange, atmosphere.

2. How does the writer describe the stairway? Underline the words that describe it.

It was dark, squeaking, and quite narrow, and its steps were a little high

3. When the writer first describes the woman, is he looking up at her or down at her? What does he describe about her first? What does he describe last?

elegant, middle-aged lady leaning against the Wall

The lady wore a beautiful dress with a quiet pattern and a tinge

of blue, and her peaceful eyes stared at me every time I went up the stairs.

PAGE 63

Practice 1

Find and underline the spatial order words and phrases used in the model paragraph "The Stairway" on page 61. Add them to the Spatial Order Signals chart.

The Stairway

When I was two or three years old, I lived in a house that had a strange, atmosphere. I do not remember anything about the house except the stairway. It was dark, squeaking, and quite narrow, and its steps were a little high for me to climb up. From the bottom of the stairway, it seemed like an endless climb to the top. Beyond the darkness at the top of the stairway, there was an elegant, middle-aged lady leaning against the wall. I had to pass her every·time I went to my room, for my room was the first room beyond the stairs on the second floor. The lady wore a beautiful dress with a quiet pattern and a tinge of blue, and her peaceful eyes stared at me every time I went up the stairs. As I carefully climbed up the last step, her eyes became fixed on me. She didn't talk, nor did she move. She just stood there and watched me clamber4 up the stairs. 0ne day I touched her, but she did not react. Her face did not change expression, nor did she even blink. She just kept staring at me with her I glittering eyes. Later, we moved out of the house, and I never saw her·again. Now I know that the lady was a mannequin. My aunt, who lived in the house, used it for her dressmaking class. I did not know my mother. Maybe I imagined that the mannequin standing at the top of the stairs was my mother. The stairway with the strange atmosphere has an important place in my earliest memories. 

PAGE 65

My Banana Garden.

1Behind my childhood home, there is a large piece of land that is surrounded by banana trees growing in wild disorder. 2Crowds of banana trees grow freely everywhere. 3Their green leaves are so thick that sunlight cannot pass through. 4Underneath the trees, the ground is so moist that wild mushrooms and plants grow there all year around. 51n the center is a wild tiel'! where the children of my village often· fly kites. 6Every evening, just before sunset, some birds arrive to look for a place to rest their tired wings. 7They wanf to land in the dark banana garden, but the banana leaves are too wide to be made into nests. 6The birds cry out and then fly away, seeking a better place to nest. 9During the rainy season, it rains for days and days, and the banana leaves become glossy and slick. 10The rain also makes the banana garden produce a very strange melody. 110n rainy days, I used to sit near my window and listen to this wonderful song. 12Now, whenever I hear the plop-plop-plop of raindrops on the roof of my small, tidy2 apartment in the city, I remember the beautiful, wild banana garden of my childhood.

Questions on the Model

1 . Find the topic sentence of this paragraph . What is the topic? The controlling idea?

My Banana Garden. The land of banana tres.

2 . Does the paragraph have a concluding sentence?

  Yes.

3 . Circle any spatial order expressions you can find.

Behind my childhood home, there is a large piece of land that is surrounded

by banana trees growing in wild disorder.

Underneath the trees, the ground is so moist that wild mushrooms and plants grow there all year around.

 In the center is a wild tiel'! where the children of my village often· fly kites.

 0n rainy days, I used to sit near my window and listen to this wonderful song.

Add them to the Spatial Order Signals chart on page 62. Is there a spatial order pattern or no pattern?

4 . What adjective is repeated four times in the paragraph (in sentences 1 , 4 , 5, and 1 2)

There is no.

PAGE 66

A . Reread the paragraph "My Banana Garden" and notice the supporting details. Whih of the senses does the writer of this paragraph appeal to in his description: sight, smell, sound, touch, and/or taste? List the details in the paragraph that appeal to each sense. (There may not be any details for some of the senses.) In your opinion, do the details support the controlling idea, or not?

SIGHT	SMELL	SOUND	TOUCH	TASTE
Their green leaves are so thick that sunlight cannot pass through birds arrive to look for a place to rest their tired wings		6The birds cry out the banana garden produce a very strange melody	the banana leaves become glossy and slick.

B. Work with a classmate, a small group, or the whole class. Brainstorm together to think of descriptive details for the following topics. List as many sights, smells, sounds, etc., as you can.

  

    1. Astorm.

       The sky is dark, cloudy, windy, the howling of the wind. The wax is wet and slipper cars, streets are wet. 

2.    A metro station (or a bus stop) is rush hour

hotel, places of work, work, home restaurants, shops, bars,

 supermarkets  luggage.

3.    A busy airport terminal

heat, lack of chairs, poor quality of service. lack of work staff,

4.    The emergency room of a hospital

rooms, skin color, people, medicines, doctors, beds, sick, nurses, 

clean, windows, doctors, table, first aid

5. sunny day at the beach

           bright, warm, beauty, radiant heat. sand, blue sea, people, vendors, children, balls 

PAGE 67

Practice 4

Find and cross out sentences that are off the topic. Cross out two sentences in paragraph 1 and one sentence in paragraph 2. 

1 . Havasu Canyon

1There is a canyon in northern Arizona that is the most beautiful spot on Earth. 2lt is called Havasu Canyon, and it is part of the Havasupai tribal reservation.' 3lt is not easy to get there, for you have to hike down a long, hot trail. 4At the end of the trail is Supai Village. S"fhe Havasupai are a tribe of about 650 people. lrfheir language has been written down only in the past twenty years. 7Beyond the village, another trail leads to the top of a steep cliff overlooking Havasu Canyon. SVour first view of the canyon takes your breath away. 9Directly in front of you, the trail disappears straight down the 200-foot cliff. 100n your right, you see a beautiful waterfall. 11Water pours straight down into a bright blue-green pool at the bottom of the canyon. 12Directly across the canyon, hundreds of small waterfalls gush from the cliff face, and little green ferns grow everywhere. 13At the bottom, the water cascades2 from one turquoise pool into another until it disappears into the trees on the left. 14As you view this scene, you can only think that Havasu Canyon is truly a magical place.

2. My First Apartment

1 My first apartment was very small. 21t was a studio apartment, so it had only one main room and a bathroom. 3The main room was divided into three areas. 4At one end of it was a kitchenette, where I cooked and ate my meals. 5My living/sleeping area was at the opposite end. 61 had just enough space for a bed, a coffee table, a floor lamp, and a small television. 7My study area was against the back wall. 81 lived there for two years, but I moved because my landlord raised the rent. 9My apartment was so small that I could never invite more than three friends at the same time!

PAGE 68
Try It Out!

Write a paragraph describing one of the items in Practice 3 B . Begin with a topic sentence that names what you will describe and gives a general impression of it:

A STORM.

The center of the city was typical colonial, at dawn today it was cloudy and dark when entering by the main street, which goes from north to south, you could hear the howling of the wind, you see the central square, at the center of it Great fountain full of the sound of water falling, the streets are slippery by the water. In the square the trees that surround it are large and leafy offering a new shadow to the people who walk by it.

Supai Village

1The trail to Supai Village is hot and dusty. 2You can hike the trail, or you can hire a guide to take you on horseback. 3Aiong the trail, you see only rock, sand, and an occasional lizard.' 41t is very dry, for this is desert country. 5There is no water on the trail, nor is there any shade. 6As you enter the village, you pass by several small homes. 71t is a quiet place. 8Dogs sleep in the streets, and villagers stand in their doorways and silently watch you, a stranger, pass by. 9They aren't smiling, yet they don't seem unfriendly. 10ln the center of the village, there is a small hotel, a restaurant, a general store, and a post office. 11At the opposite end of the village, the trail leads to a cliff overlooking the canyon below.

Questions on the Model
l . In sentence 1 , underline the subject(s) with one line and the verb(s) put in blod.
 Is this a simple or a compound sentence? Is a simple sentence.


2. Do the same for sentences 2 and 3 . What kind of sentences are they?

A. Underline five compound sentences in the model paragraph on page 68.

Supai Village

1The trail to Supai Village is hot and dusty. 2You can hike the trail, or you can hire a guide to take you on horseback. 3Aiong the trail, you see only rock, sand, and an occasional lizard.' 4 It is very dry, for this is desert country. 5There is no water on the trail, nor is there any shade. 6As you enter the village, you pass by several small homes. 71t is a quiet place. 8Dogs sleep in the streets, and villagers stand in their doorways and silently watch you, a stranger, pass by. 9They aren't smiling, yet they don't seem unfriendly. 10ln the center of the village, there is a small hotel, a restaurant, a general store, and a post office. 11At the opposite end of the village, the trail leads to a cliff overlooking the canyon below.

C. Make compound sentences by adding another simple sentence that fits the meaning to each item.

1. I have studied English at school for six years, but I still have trouble speaking it.
2. Many children who watch television all day do not learn to read well for later to harm him in his studies.
3. In some countries, women can not vote or enter a career.
4. The United States is one of the richest countries in the world, but worse in education.
5. Everyone should know at least two languages, in order to have a better chance of getting a good job.

D. For additional practice, write a sentence composed of your own use to, however, and nor, once each.

1. I study the Bible however I need to read a lot to improve my knowledge about the Bible.
2. the people of my place do not tolerate child violence or violence against women.

PAGE 74

Add commas where they are required in the following paragraph.

A Beach Treasure 

Last Sunday my friend and I, were walking along the beach and spotted an interesting shell on top of the sand. We stopped knelt down picked it up and brushed the sand from its surface. lt was a disk about 3 inches in diameter with five V, shaped notches around its outer edge.  lt was round flat and gray-white in color. lt was large for a sea, shell yet it weighed almost nothing. 1 held it up to my nose and sniffed the salty smell of the ocean. 0n

the top side of the disk Mother Nature had punched tiny holes in the shape of a flower with five petals. The other side of the disk was very plain, for it had only one small hole in the center. At first we thought the shell was empty but we were wrong. We shook it and a stream of sand fell out. Later we did a little research and learned that it wasn't a shell at all. lt was the skeleton of an ocean animal. Do you know what this animal is? (See the bottom of the page for the answer.)

Exercise 2

Write a summary of "The Stairway" (page 61). Imagine that you are telling a friend the story. Include the important information, but write as few sentences as possible. Write no more than five sentences. Use these questions to pick out the important points.

1 . What is the topic of this descriptive paragraph? 

2 . Where is the child when he describes the topic?

3 . What part of the house does he describe? How does it appear to him?

4. What is at the top of the stairway?

5 . How does he describe her?

6. What did he imagine then? What does he know now?

The Stairway

I lived in a house that had a strange atmosphere.  there was a staircase. dark, shrill and quite narrow, and his steps were a bit high for me Climbing. At the top of the stairs, there was an elegant middle-aged lady leaning against the wall. The woman was wearing a beautiful dress with a calm pattern and a tinge of blue, and his peaceful eyes watched me every time I went up the stairs. I imagined that the manikin that was at the top of the stairs was my mother. The first memories of when I was two or three years old

PAGE 75

Writing Assignment

Write a descriptive paragraph. Follow the steps in the writing process.

Step 1 Prewrite to get ideas. Use the clustering exercise that you completed in the Try It Out! exercise on page 73.

Step 2 Organize the ideas. Decide what ldnd of spatial order you will use. Make

an outline. Include as many descriptive details as you can think of.

Step 3 Write the rough draft. Write ROUGH DRAFf at the top of your paper.

• Begin with a topic sentence that names the place and gives a general

impression.

• Use spatial order.

• Include descriptive details to make your description lively and

interesting.

• Write a concluding sentence.

• Pay attention to your sentence structure. Write both simple and

compound sentences, and punctuate them correctly.

Step 4 Polish the rough draft.

• Exchange papers with a classmate and ask him or her to check your

rough draft using Peer-Editing Worksheet 4 on page 204. Then

discuss the completed worksheet and decide what changes you

should make. Write a second draft.

• Use Self-Editing Worksheet 4 on page 205 to check your second

draft for grammar, punctuation , and sentence structure .

Step 5 Write a final copy. Hand in your rough draft, your second draft , your

final copy, and the page containing the two editing worksheets. Your

teacher may also ask you to hand in your prewriting paper.

Step 1

A place that is special to me : The family.

The house (the family)

The church.

The park.

Step 2

A place that is special to me : The family.

Love

happiness

laughter

joy

sadness

grandparents

children

parents

step 3

A place that is special to me: the family

The family is very important

The joy of children

Happiness in parents.

The laughs of each member

Love of one towards the other.

Step 4

A place that is special to me: the family

A family is a group of people formed by father, mother, children, grandparents, among others. This is very interesting for many because in family life there is everything you need to be happy: joy in children, laughter from each of the members, emotions and mutual love, in a family the unity of each member is so important But sometimes our idea of ​​what life is like in a family is a little different from what can really happen. by. In conclusion, in a family you can find unforgettable moments for each member that make it up.

Note! I did not do some exercises because they are group tasks.